Just Another Day in Hell's Carriage
by PaBurke
Summary: Avengers Old West AU, there's a gif set wandering around Tumblr that inspired this AU
1. Chapter 1

Just another day in Hell's Carriage

Avengers Old West AU, there's a gif set wandering around Tumblr that inspired this AU

*owau*

The subsonic WHOMP made the glass in the windows clatter and dust fall from the roof. Steve and Clint didn't even look at each other before running out of the Sheriff's office and down the dirt street to the smithy's. The horses at various hitching posts were spooked. Coulson was already outside and calming them down. Steve nodded his thanks to the man. They didn't want residents and visitors to have an excuse to venture into the street and near the smithy's. The danger might have just begun.

At one time, Stark had been a gunsmith like his father but since returning from the front lines of the War, he was now a blacksmith when bored and a smith of everything else the rest of the time. Stark was the reason that the sheriff –and the town council- even knew the word 'subsonic.' Stark's windmills gave Hell's Carriage better electricity than most East Coast towns. Stark's other inventions used the electricity to make life easier.

Stark's experiments leading to his inventions normally ended here: with Steve and Clint meeting Fury outside of the clapboard shop.

"Mayor," Steve greeted the gruff Civil War survivor with respect. The escaped slave had served with distinction.

"Sheriff," Fury answered in kind. He also nodded to Clint. "Deputy."

Stark's buildings were still standing so that was a plus. The three men knew to wait and not to rush in. Stark's house and workshop were a hazard to all but the owner.

Tony Stark finally stumbled out of his workshop, smoke billowing behind him, arm in arm with –well that was a bit of a surprise- Dr. Banner. The town doc had done some schooling for more than just treating patients and Stark had been thrilled to find someone who understood him. For weeks, the smith had been trying to tempt Banner into his workshop, but Steve hadn't expected the doc would agree. The doc had a terrible temper when riled and Stark would test the patience of a saint. Steve welcomed the tiny smile on Banner's face in the current chaos.

"It's a celebration!" Stark announced. "All we're missing is my favorite barfly."

Calling Natasha a barfly was a demotion and an insult likely to get Stark banned from her bar again. She owned the establishment, The Black Widow, and ran the cathouse on the side. Stark would apologize after two days of drinking the rotgut Natasha's competition sold.

"She's keeping the looky-loos out of the street," Fury snapped. "Stark, consider yourself fined. Again."

"Tell Pepper," the smithy waved off the punishment. He had too much money to be bothered. Someday, Fury was going to tar and feather the arrogant genius. Steve hadn't decided whether or not to let him… or -on really bad days- help.

"Where is Miss Potts?"

"DC," Stark answered mournfully. "You should telegraph her and tell her that I'm getting to trouble without her."

Miss Potts was a beautiful, capable woman and could ride herd on Stark better than anyone else. Coulson, Fury's ever efficient secretary, would probably go into mourning when Potts and Stark finally got hitched. The rest of the town of Hell's Carriage was hoping that marriage would tie her down so that they could enjoy the genius of Stark without the madness. Steve had a suspicion that life would continue as it had, with Miss Potts leaving regularly to sell Stark's inventions back East while Stark stayed behind, only with Miss Potts sleeping in Stark's mansion instead of her pretty little house. Miss Potts had hinted as much when Steve had gifted her with a sketch of said house for her birthday last month.

"You need help putting the shop back together," Steve offered. After all, anyone might need the blacksmith. It wouldn't do for the shop to be out of commission.

"Nah," Stark looked back at his workshop. "Maybe later. Let the smoke clear first. Let's have a drink. I'm buying."

Banner eeled away from Stark. "I need to check my clinic."

"You'll come back," Stark whined. "You like the tea that the Widow serves."

Banner made no promises.

Stark looked hopefully at the three men. Fury growled and stalked away. Steve shrugged. All of his problems came from either the Widow or Stark. Having them in the same place and being invited to keep an eye on them would make his job easier. He couldn't get drunk (or old), not since he had been the voluntary subject of an experiment for the elder Stark and Stark's co-conspirator, Erskine, but Steve liked the taste of alcohol as much as the next man.

Inside the Widow, Natasha served the men herself. She filled Clint's glass with tea. The men needed no more clues to know that trouble was brewing. Natasha had her finger on the pulse of the community, especially the dregs.

Steve wondered if it was someone out to make a name for themselves against Clint's well-earned gunslinger reputation or if someone wanted some weapons out of Stark. Steve settled in to watch for danger. The two cowboys at the bar looked like trouble. They had the swagger of cattle baron sons, the blond one built like a regular blacksmith and the dark haired, younger one built more like a school teacher. The blond looked like he was debating between protecting the younger from Pierce and letting nature take its course. Pierce was a bully and a local cattle baron and Steve hated bullies no matter their property size. At the moment, his hands were tied. He didn't like that Pierce had been in town when Stark had made that explosion. Someone was sure to tell Pierce that Banner had been involved. Pierce hated Banner and had tried to run him out of town. The feelings were mutual. Then the dark haired stranger disarmed Pierce quick as a snake and Pierce's army of cowpokes moved to attack. Steve, Clint and Natasha… and Stark moved to break it up.

It was just another day in Hell's Carriage.


	2. Chapter 2

Just another morning in Hell's Carriage

*owau*

Steve sat on the jail roof, sketching the morning light on the rock formation that gave the town its name. He had already run the length and breadth of Hell's Carriage and hadn't spotted trouble. He could smell the coffee on the stove downstairs. If Clint… the house settled and the stairs creaked slightly. Clint had returned from his perches. Fury had kindly scattered them through town.

Clint sat beside Steve and passed him a coffee, hot with a spoonful of honey.

"Quiet last night," was less of a question and more of an observation. Someone would have woken him if Steve had been needed.

Clint still had his bow in hand. Like every other man –and several women- in town, the sharpshooter worn a six-shooter tied down. His preferred weapon was the bow and arrow, though. He was so good that he had traveled with Wild Bill's Show for several years and Indians from all territories came to Hell's Carriage to challenge him.

Clint grunted.

"Pierce?"

"Took his cowboys and went home."

"Fury?"

"Staying out of it."

Good. Fury had a blind spot concerning the white southerner. Yes, Pierce had fought for the Yankees but Steve was becoming more and more convinced that it had nothing to do with Pierce's personal opinions of slavery and everything to do with which side he had predicted would win the war.

"Stark?"

"Took the Odinson brothers home."

Hell. Those would be the two strangers from the bar fight yesterday. Stark could find trouble with anyone. Stark loved visitors and would have moved Banner, Steve, Clint and Natasha into his manor if they had let him. "The Odinson brothers?"

"Tasha agrees with you. Wherever they're from, their father rules. They were cagey about specifics. She's working on the younger one, Loki. She'll get to the truth. Thor –the older one- has taken a shine to Jane Foster."

Aw hell. Stark swore that Jane Foster was as smart as he, but she had always struck Steve as a mite flighty, staring up at the stars to the exclusion of all else. "Did she notice?"

Steve heard the laughter in Clint's voice. "Yes, she did." That was surprising. Steve did acknowledge that Thor Odinson exhibited the pinnacle form of a human male body. He had sketched the stranger and his brother several times last night before succumbing to sleep. "How did they meet?"

"Darcy must have convinced them to come into town."

Steve still couldn't think of a way that Miss Foster and Thor Odinson would have crossed paths except… "She didn't let Miss Foster drive the team, did she?"

"She did."

"That woman is a menace. Miss Darcy promised me that she'd do all the driving. Erik's just as bad. Who or what did she run over this time?"

"Thor."

Steve reminded himself that if true trouble had happened, Clint would have woke him. "How's Mr. Odinson?"

"Bruce says not a bruise on his body."

"Not a bruise?" Steve repeated. Thor had taken quite a few solid hits the night before. Steve was the only person he knew that could take that kind of damage and not bruise. "How are the horses?"

"Coulson said they were fine. One's limping but should recover."

"Their wagon?"

"Loose at the corners. Tony and Thor hammered it back together. Thor knows his way around a hammer."

"Maybe she missed?" Steve hoped. That would be better than the alternative. And if Thor was willing to do physical labor immediately after…

"Nope," Clint said. "Saw it all. The front wheel rolled right over his back and then the back wheel did too." Clint's eyesight was exceptional even in the dark, if he said he saw it, it happened.

"Where was the younger brother?"

"Laughing so hard on the boardwalk that he had to sit down. Only stopped laughing when Thor started flirting with Jane."

"How did young Mr. Odinson react to all that?"

"He seemed surprised at Thor's cow eyes. It might be serious."

"Any reason to send them on their way?"

"Fury wants them to stay."

"Fury?"

"Likes their fighting styles." They had impressive fighting styles.

Steve hmmmed.

"He sent Coulson to make nice."

"Oh?"

"Thor referred to him as Son of Coul."

"Interesting." Especially since he referred to himself as Odinson. "Son of Odin."

"That was Tasha's opinion."

"Good to know. Rest. I've got watch now."

Clint nodded and stretched. He slipped off the roof as quietly as he had climbed up. Steve stood guard over the town.

*owau*


End file.
